Exodus-Chap-9-1-15

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Remember the following truth from our beloved Torah!

“Ye shall NOT ADD TO THE WORD which I command you, NEITHER SHALL YE DIMINISH FROM IT, that ye may keep the commandments of יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - the LORD your Eloleichem, which I command you”. Davarim - Deuteronomy 4:2. (JPS-1917).

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 “Exodus Chapter 9:1-15”

Part One..

With Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.

Introduction:

The Escalation of Divine Sovereignty.

In the opening of Exodus Chapter 9, the narrative shifts into a more severe phase of the Ten Plagues. Having moved past the “nuisance” plagues (blood, frogs, lice) and the “disturbance” of the swarms, we now enter a cycle that targets the very foundations of Egyptian wealth and physical security: their livestock and their health. These verses demonstrate that Pharaoh’s heart remains hardened despite the mounting evidence of a Power that distinguishes between the oppressor and the oppressed.

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Below are the verses from Exodus Chapter 9, verses 1 to 15: with Explanations located directly below the verses.

Verse 1: “Then יְהוָה - the LORD said unto Moses: ‘Go in unto Pharaoh, and tell him: Thus saith יְהוָה - the LORD, the אֱלֹהִים - Elohim (God) of the Hebrews: Let My people go, that they may serve Me’.

Explanation: This remains the consistent demand of the Exodus. The use of “אֱלֹהִים - Elohim of the Hebrews” emphasizes a national identity that Pharaoh refuses to recognize.

Verse 2: For if thou refuse to let them go, and wilt hold them still,

Explanation: This verse highlights Pharaoh’s active resistance; he isn’t just saying “no”, he is “holding” them exerting physical and psychological dominance.

Verse 3: behold, the hand of יְהוָה - the LORD is upon thy cattle which are in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the herds, and upon the flocks; there shall be a very grievous murrain.

Explanation: This is the Fifth Plague (Pestilence). It strikes the Egyptian economy and their transportation. “The hand of יְהוָה - the LORD” signifies direct divine intervention.

Verse 4: ‘And יְהוָה - the LORD shall make a division between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt; and there shall nothing die of all that belongeth to the children of Israel.’

Explanation: The “division” (separation) is a recurring theme, proving that these events are not natural accidents but targeted judgments.

Verse 5: And יְהוָה - the LORD appointed a set time, saying: ‘To-morrow the LORD shall do this thing in the land’.

Explanation: By setting a specific time, Moses eliminates the possibility of Pharaoh claiming the plague was a coincidence of nature.

Verse 6: And יְהוָה - the LORD did that thing on the morrow, and all the cattle of Egypt died; but of the cattle of the children of Israel died not one.

Explanation: “All” here signifies a vast majority or all that were “in the field” (per verse 3). The total preservation of Israel’s livestock is a miracle of protection.

Verse 7: And Pharaoh sent, and, behold, there was not so much as one of the cattle of the Israelites dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was stubborn, and he did not let the people go.

Explanation: Pharaoh investigates the “division” himself. Even when his own eyes confirm the miracle, his pride prevents him from surrendering.

Verse 8: And יְהוָה - the LORD said unto Moses and unto Aaron: ‘Take to you handfuls of soot of the furnace, and let Moses throw it heavenward in the sight of Pharaoh’.

Explanation: The Sixth Plague (Boils). This plague begins without a prior warning to Pharaoh, showing that the time for negotiation is closing.

Verse 9: ‘And it shall become small dust over all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth with blains upon man and upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt.’

Explanation: The soot, usually a symbol of the Israelites’ forced labour in the kilns, now becomes the source of the Egyptians’ physical agony.

Verse 10: And they took soot of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses threw it heavenward; and it became a boil breaking forth with blains upon man and upon beast.

Explanation: This is a “skin for skin” judgment. The oppressors, who likely physically abused the slaves, now suffer in their own flesh.

Verse 11: And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boils were upon the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians.

Explanation: This is a turning point. The magicians are no longer just failing to replicate the miracles; they are physically incapacitated and humiliated.

Verse 12: And יְהוָה - the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them; as יְהוָה - the LORD had spoken unto Moses.

Explanation: Here, the text shifts from Pharaoh hardening his own heart to יְהוָה - the LORD hardening it. This indicates Pharaoh has passed a “point of no return” in his obstinacy.

Verse 13: And יְהוָה - the LORD said unto Moses: ‘Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him: Thus saith יְהוָה - the LORD, the אֱלֹהִים - Elohim of the Hebrews: Let My people go, that they may serve Me.

Explanation: The Seventh Plague (Hail) is prefaced by a significant warning. Moses is told to “rise up early”, signifying the urgency and the weight of what is to follow.

Verse 14: For I will at this time send all My plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like Me in all the earth’.

Explanation: This warning explains the purpose of the plagues: to demonstrate the incomparable nature of the Creator to a king who considers himself a god.

Verse 15: ‘For now I had put forth My hand, and smitten thee and thy people with pestilence, and thou hadst been cut off from the earth;’

Explanation: אֱלֹהִים - Elohim reveals that He could have destroyed Pharaoh instantly. The fact that Pharaoh still breathes is not a sign of אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s weakness, but of אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s patient purpose to display His power.

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Closing Conclusion:

The Weight of Sovereignty.

These fifteen verses encapsulate the transition from economic loss to physical suffering. They serve as a stern reminder that while the Divine is patient, the refusal to acknowledge the dignity of others and the sovereignty of the Creator leads to an inevitable collapse of one's own foundations. The “division” mentioned in verse 4 is the ultimate message: there is a clear distinction between the path of the oppressor and the path of the redeemed.

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